Determination of the prevalence and parasite burden of <i>Coeunurus cerebralis</i> and <i>Oestrus ovis</i> in sheep in Siirt province of Türkiye

Kara, Murat; Celik, Burcak Aslan; Celik, Ozgur Yasar; Ayan, Adnan; Selcuk, Muhammed Ahmed; Ercan, Kerem; Ayan, Ozge Oktay

doi:10.2754/avb202594010013

Acta Veterinaria > Archive > 2025, Vol. 94 > Issue 1 > Determination of the prevalence and…

Acta Vet. Brno 2025, 94: 13-21

https://doi.org/10.2754/avb202594010013

Determination of the prevalence and parasite burden of Coeunurus cerebralis and Oestrus ovis in sheep in Siirt province of Türkiye

Murat Kara¹

, Burcak Aslan Celik¹

, Ozgur Yasar Celik²

, Adnan Ayan³

, Muhammed Ahmed Selcuk¹

, Kerem Ercan²

, Ozge Oktay Ayan⁴

¹Siirt University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Siirt, Türkiye
²Siirt University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Siirt, Türkiye
³Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Genetics, Van, Türkiye
⁴Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Van, Türkiye

Received July 31, 2024
Accepted February 15, 2025

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and parasite burdens of Coeunurus cerebralis and Oestrus ovis in sheep in Siirt province, Türkiye. Between December 2022 and November 2023, a total of 520 sheep (260 male, 260 female) heads (10 heads per week) were randomly sampled from a butcher. The total prevalence of C. cerebralis was determined to be 12.9%. The prevalence was higher in males, in the Morkaraman breed, in animals younger than two years of age, in dark-coloured ones, in October, and in the right brain hemisphere. The total prevalence of O. ovis was determined to be 38.3%. The prevalence was higher in females, in the Akkaraman breed, in dark-coloured breeds, in age groups older than two years, and in December. In terms of larvae, L₁ was detected in 108 sheep, L₂ in 106 sheep, and L₃ in 139 sheep. A total of 1,039 larvae (278 L₁, 321 L₂, and 440 L₃) were detected. The significant presence of O. ovis found in the sheep in this study indicates that Siirt province has suitable climatic conditions for O. ovis and larval development. It is recommended to include more animals in a future study in order to determine the exact seasonal prevalence of O. ovis infestation in the region, and to use an antiparasitic drug effective against O. ovis in the routine treatment of sheep to reduce the incidence of this disease.